Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 97

Slade

He finally walked from that Alpha’s office with a new Beta right there next to him. His father had just gotten to see a side to him that he’d not liked at all. How that man had not seen this coming he didn’t know.

He could only put it down to the fact he’d played his role over the past year of being here, very well, and only having Vance in the pack once, and to train all of them and not just him, brought that man’s sister with him as well. To have Vance’s own Alpha confirm he moved about and trained within other packs, so it didn’t look at all suspicious to his own father.

He heard that office door close with a bang behind them all. It didn’t really surprise him, they were now playing hardball with the Alpha to the pack. That man could, as he’d stated, unseat him as the heir anytime he liked for whatever reason he saw fit. But so far Slade had managed to avoid that, with those words of Hayden being more important to the man than his own son.

They walked up the stairs and right into the Beta Suite. It had not only been emptied out of all Hayden’s things, it had also been spring-cleaned and smelled of nothing but cleaning products, it no longer smelled like Hayden at all. He mind-linked to Anika ‘Thank you, would you mind having my new Beta’s things brought up to the suite, please Anika.’

‘Of course, Alpha.’ She answered him simply ‘is there anything else you need?’

‘Not at this time, no, take tomorrow off for your trouble today.’ He told her.

‘It was no trouble.’ She snorted and he dissolved the link.

“Vance, your things are on their way up now,” he told him as he sat himself down. “You should pick out new furniture.”

“Why?” he asked right back, as he sat and picked through the welcome basket of goodies, the omegas had left for him on the coffee table. He’d not told them to do that, something Anika had done of her own volition. “Aren’t we leaving anyway?”

“We are.” Slade nodded “But not until the day after tomorrow, so don’t unpack, I guess then.”

“I didn’t intend to.” Vance smiled at him as he opened a bag of potato chips to lean back and eat them. “Now what are we up to tonight, then boys. It’s my first official day as the future Beta. We should celebrate.”

“Yes,” Slade nodded, “we should. Get you out there to be seen inside the pack.”

“To the nightclub.” Palmer smiled at him.

“Drinks on me then, tonight.” Yuri chimed in.

“We’ll stay in our pack suits boys. Let’s let it be known to all, Hayden is officially nothing inside this pack. Demoted to nothing.” Slade knew he could never be ranked up. Once demoted from the position of the future Beta, he was now nothing inside this pack, and could never be asked to step back into the role.

“You still punishing that boy?” Vance asked.

“Yes, he was an asshole to Ori all his life, always though he was better than she was.”

“Do you really think he’s your father’s illegitimate child to your Beta’s Mate?” Vance asked him.”

That even surprised me, when you mentioned that.”

“I don’t know, when you look at it, how I put it, and the way he fights to keep Hayden right there.” He shrugged “I don’t know. The boys and I have been watching for his friends to be given extra

training, as though we were going to be unseated, for the past year now. I thought a long time ago it was on the cards, that Hayden is more important than I, than Ori in my father’s eyes.”

“Nothing else really makes sense, that he would always push for the boy to be in a leadership role.

Slade didn’t lie about anything he mentioned,” Palmer stated.

Slade sighed because anything was possible. They’d not know if that boy was bled to Anders, he would scent like beta blood to everyone. But it could actually be possible, why he was always treated differently. Though that made his brain tick… “What if its not that, what if Ori isn’t Anders, and that’s why she was treated differently, why they wanted Hayden to step up, what if Oriana isn’t actually a Vale.”

“Slade if your father is Ori’s…” Yuri frowned at him.

“No, not father’s, but what if something happened to Bronnie and the girl is hers, but not Anders’?

Therefore, Hayden is actually the true Heir to the Vale bloodline, why they had him so quickly, why there is a big difference between the way she is treated by her father.”

“Why your father pushes for him at every turn as well.” Palmer nodded thoughtfully. “That could be

But she is definitely pure Beta blooded, so very strong and fast.”

“Hmm, but how would that come about, and the pack not know?” Vance asked.

“Who knows?” Slade shrugged “Worth more thought, I think. Maybe that was why Anders was happy to demote her that way, a punishment to the daughter he’d had to take on as his own, even though she isn’t his.”

“Her eyes are unique,” Palmer murmured, “unlike her mother or father.” He nodded.

“For later to deal with. Likely come out when the council deals with them. The reason why they did that to her.” It would be found out, they just had to wait was all. “Part one done.” He leaned his head back on the couch.

“I hope your mate won’t mind you getting about all the time.” She stated as she stepped back out of the room. “Some, do you know, a bit of a turn-off.” She murmured and closed the door.

“Hmm, food for thought.” Yuri chuckled.

“Ah I’m gypsy-blooded and free-spirited, she’ll have to deal with it. For all I know, she could be part or full Gypsy herself.” He smiled “now that would be fun for me.”

Slade shook his head. “You do realise there likely won’t be much opportunity for that kind of thing out there on mission, right?”

“Ah you never know.” Vance smiled at him “I like human girls as well, and they all think I’m a dream boat.”

The man was clearly not going to be deterred by anything at all, wolves or human, he was likely going to find himself someone to sate those needs of his. Likely wouldn’t care what it was, regardless of what kind of otherworldly creature it was. He was too free-spirited to care about what they were. If he was interested and so were they, that would be all that mattered to Vance.

They ate in the packhouse still in their formal pack suits, in full view of the pack members in here, though there was no Alpha or his unit, no Luna and her women and no Hayden in this room either.

He wondered absently if that boy was up there in the Beta family suite, crying like a baby or pitching a fit and thinking about coming down here to challenge Vance for the title. He could do if he liked. It wouldn’t get him anywhere though.

“Vance don’t get hammered tonight.” He told him later on as they headed for the pack’s nightclub.

“I never drink like that, could wind up like Freddy.” He snorted “I’d like to be sober when I Mark and Mate. I bet she’ll be stunningly beautiful, suck me in real fast. Like two seconds, one to scent her out and one to verbalise the word mine right before I sink my fangs into her.”

“I wish you luck my friend.” Palmer clapped him on the back, just how many different packs have you been to over the years since turning 18?”

“Hmm, I’m 21, so I’d have to say all bar like one a year which I spent inside the home pack, just in case she was there. So like…33.”

“And yet you found nothing?” Yuri asked him.

“It’s all good fellas the Goddess will drop her into my lap when the time is right.” Vance smiled “I bet you 10 bucks, my Mate will be prettier than yours.” He snorted and ducked out of the way as Yuri tried to clip him one.

“No, she won’t.” Yuri stated and shot after him as Vance taunted him about whose Mate would be prettier.

Palmer chuckled softly “It’s going to be interesting out there with Vance around.”

“Likely so, he’ll keep you two on your toes…” Slade nodded “Go have fun, I’ll catch up shortly.” He stated as he saw both Lindal and Art walking this way.